Redefining the Employee-Employer Relationship in 2024

It’s fairly common for the HR and TA communities to spend the first few weeks of a New Year focused on analysing and forecasting the emerging trends we expect to see play out in the world of work over the coming 12 months, and early 2024 has been no exception. It’s looking like the dynamic landscape of work is set to witness significant transformations. 

Recently I had a great podcast chat with Neil Pickering , Senior Manager of HR Innovation at UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group), and we talked about the key trends we expected to see over the upcoming. We identified these four main themes for 2024:

1. The Year of Trust: Redefining Employee-Employer Relationships

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, employee preferences regarding when, where, and how they work have undergone a radical shift. Whilst my own research from 2018 indicated that these trends already existed, the Covid pandemic definitely accelerated them. The focus in 2024 has now shifted to redefining the employee-employer relationship, with the overarching theme being trust - Neil’s research indicating that employees are seeking increased trust in their employers and organisations.

This is underscored by a growing emphasis on personalisation of the employee experience. Multi-generational workforces are now the norm, and individual priorities - especially regarding mental health and well-being - are taking centre stage. The challenge lies in delivering unique and personalised experiences tailored to each employee's needs. 

Some of this can be achieved by encouraging more regular manager/employee check-ins, empowering our people to provide feedback, and enabling self-service wellbeing options to help create a more personalised work experience.

2. From Buying and Borrowing to Building and Mining

Our second key trend revolved around talent strategies, which we see shifting from traditional hiring practices to a more holistic approach. Organisations are moving beyond simply buying or borrowing external talent and instead focusing on building and mining talent within their existing workforce. This approach involves identifying and utilszing the skills, capabilities, ambitions, and passions of their current employees.

Our workforces are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of growth opportunities, and expecting organisations to enable their personal and professional development. Part of this will include identifying individual passions outside of work and aligning them with organiational needs and priorities. 

We see a need for genuine employee resource groups, and transparent communication channels to encourage employees to share their interests to help facilitate a collaborative, growth-oriented environment.

3. AI, Personalisation, and the Future of Workforce Management

During our conversation Neil highlights the growing role of AI in shaping the future of workforce management. The focus is shifting from process-oriented approaches to outcomes, with generative AI streamlining complex processes behind the scenes. This shift enables employees to experience positive outcomes without getting bogged down by intricate procedures.

Processes like self-scheduling, shift swapping, and accessing information about policies such as leave entitlement, will become seamless with the integration of AI, allowing organisations to prioritise outcomes, ensuring employees can navigate administrative tasks effortlessly, which will lead to increased productivity and an enhanced employee experience.

4. ESG Reality Check: Transparency, Trust, and Employee Expectations

The final major trend we covered was the increased prominence of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives in the corporate landscape. With the EU introducing the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in 2024, organisations will be under increased scrutiny to deliver on their ESG promises. This trend won’t only be influenced by external factors (such as financial markets and regulatory requirements) but also driven by internal expectations from employees and consumers. 

The emerging workforce are likely to become active participants in holding their organisations accountable for their social commitments. Businesses will have to be transparent about the outcomes of their ESG initiatives and swiftly address any shortcomings. Authenticity is paramount - we believe employees and consumers will increasingly be looking for tangible proof of an organisation's commitment to social responsibility.

The world of work in 2024 is poised for some transformative shifts, emphasising trust, personalisation, talent development, AI integration, and ESG initiatives. To thrive in this evolving business landscape all organisations have to display authenticity and a genuine commitment to employee wellbeing. The key to a successful future for businesses in 2024 and beyond lies in embracing change, fostering transparency, and building resilient, adaptive workplaces.

Truth and Honesty in the Hiring Process

Gartner research amongst job 3,500 candidates in May 2023 found that around 50% of those who accepted a job offer went on to reject it before the start date. Whilst many might find this high, I'm not overly surprised. From my research and writing over the last few years I've heard this many times. Too many organisations still see onboarding as something that either starts on the first day, or a week or two before. It doesn't. Real onboarding starts as soon as you take someone beyond the first interview.

Research I worked on a few years ago, which involved surveying 14,000 jobseekers, found consistently that candidates drop out right up to start date, often because of something they've heard, or because there was a lack of information from the company they were due to join.

However, some might say, who can blame them?

Because research from Resume Builder found over a third of hiring managers admitting they lied to candidates about the role or company during the hiring process. Three quarters admitted to lying during the interview, 52% in the job description and - unbelievably - 24% in the offer letter.

We need to be doing better.

Latest Conversations

Having flagged up potential issues in the interview and hiring process, it would be remiss of me not to point you in the direction of two of my recent podcast chats!

In 'Digital Screening for Smart Hiring in HR' I talk with Ben Mones , CEO and founder of Fama Technologies Inc. , about how AI enabled online and social media background screening helps identify the right people. We cover a few areas, including what online and social media background screening is, how it can identify potential problems with future candidates, and what are types of misconduct you can uncover.

The second conversation is 'Rethinking Interviews' in which I chat with Stephane Rivard , CEO of HiringBranch , about how we can iron out the problems with traditional interviews, and help overcome bias in decision making, whilst evaluating competencies and assessing communication skills.

Hope you find them both interesting.

The Last 10 Years in Recruiting

Later in the month I'll be heading over to the London ExCel Arena for the 10th anniversary InHouse Recruitment Expo #IHRE24London. I'll be getting involved with 2 sessions on the day - in the Masterclass theatre I'll be asking if Retention is the new Recruitment, and if so, what should TA and InHouse recruitment teams be doing. And I will also be hosting a panel in which I will be talking about how recruitment has evolved over the last 10 years - from LI to AI - with Emi Beredugo , Rachel Dalboth , and The Burnout Beater - Colin Minto .

Hope I'll be seeing some of the talent community there! Entry is free and you can check out the details here.